Mongolian capital to ban low-grade coal

ULAN BATOR, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia will impose a ban on the burning of low-grade coal for domestic use in its capital Ulan Bator beginning in April, 2019, in efforts to curb air pollution, Prime Minister Ukhnaa Hurelsukh said on Monday.

"The ban will be legalized. Preparations are underway. Households will be supplied with processed fuel. By doing so, air pollution will be reduced by 50 percent," Hurelsukh said at a meeting with officials from government departments and cities, including Ulan Bator.

In recent years, air pollution in Ulan Bator has become a major problem for every citizen living in the Mongolian capital.

Population growth caused mainly by rural to urban migration has led to major increases in the capital city's air pollution emissions.

Much of the population growth has been in the city's low-income residential districts where coal and wood are burned for heat. Enditem